Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

It really was as balmy as a fine April day here. Last Saturday morning I had to move a very large chunk of tree branch from in front of the garage door before I could get the car out, after the dreadful storm of the night before. What a contrast. Today was the first for a very long time when I didn't have to force myself to go and work in the garden. With the warm sunshine, the birdsong, and ignoring a very agricultural smell drifting over, it was so beautiful I could hardly bear to go back into the stuffy old house.

I sowed broad beans outside. This was made easy by some very hard work yesterday, barrowing compost about. I also sowed dwarf French beans, purple ones, and some Cut and Come Again lettuce, but these are in the greenhouse. I pruned the roses, weeded, generally pottered about without feeling cold! It's a good time to transplant any foxgloves you find growing in the wrong place so I moved a few about. According to the late, great Christopher Lloyd you can even move them in flower. To cap it all I picked a purple Iris, in flower, in March. Colder weather is forecast for the weekend so I'll try to make the most of this mini-Spring. I'm adding to the March flower gallery if you care to have a look.

Sale day! Sale day!

A man from Parcel Force staggered up to the door today with a box containing twenty nine books by Charlotte M Yonge which I'd bought on eBay. The seller was so helpful. The postman was so helpful: "This is very heavy. Can I put it somewhere for you?" I have a feast of reading matter ahead plus a few duplicates to sell.

In a charity shop I bought 500g of Patons Classic Cotton for £8.00 It's a nice springlike primrose yellow, too.

Can this go on?